These are some maps I did recently in photoshop, playing around with different methods of doing them.

Comments and Criticisms welcome.

05/21/08 - Added a new style I was piddling with today at work, this is definitely WIP, just the basics and some mountains (those are supposed to simulate Contour lines as well as give a "mountainous" feel) - Comments and Criticisms Highly welcomed.

Oh, by the way, this is supposed to be about the same regional type area as the others, except a bit wider.

landorl

05-08-2008, 11:08 AM

I like the first and third. On the second map, the trees and hills kind of look too similar, but when you add background colors it is much easier to distinguish.

Nice looking maps overall!

Bohunk

05-08-2008, 07:31 PM

Some nice work there, I like em. Besides a river issue on the first one, I don't have any probs.

Redrobes

05-08-2008, 08:11 PM

...Besides a river issue on the first one...
Oh yes I didnt see that straight away....RobA...RobA.... we have a code red over here !

Actually I like the second one best. Don't know why - I think it looks like it could be a bit of parchment. The color added makes it look like your going for a more realistic look but its less subtle.

Well if you can just bosh a few out like that Id like to see more when your trying hard !

ravells

05-09-2008, 06:32 AM

My favourites are No.2, followed by No.1, followed by No.3 although I love the look and feel of all three. Lovely work!

Malakor

05-09-2008, 08:08 AM

Some nice work there, I like em. Besides a river issue on the first one, I don't have any probs.

If you don't mind, clarify what you mean by a river issue, so I'll know what would work better next time.

Thanks

ravells

05-09-2008, 08:25 AM

Hi Malakor,

In the first map, the river in the middle of the picture forks the wrong way. Rivers almost always join other rivers but once joined, tend almost always not to split unless there is a manmade reason or the river is close to the coast and becomes a delta.

RobA

05-09-2008, 09:58 AM

Ahem- Excuse me.

A river violation 630-H5 "Unrealistic River" subclass 12B "Forking downstream" was called in to our dispatch.

Malakor - please step away from the map!

What?...Ok. This time we'll let you off with just a warning, but please don't let it happen again :P

-Rob (A proud member of the river police) A>

ravells

05-09-2008, 10:12 AM

I think you should start keeping a tally of river icons on your avatar like ww2 bombers did to record missions. :)

landorl

05-09-2008, 12:30 PM

You can also have a river that goes underground for a while, but that is quite rare, and usually only for a short distance.

landorl

05-09-2008, 12:33 PM

Oh, one other thing, on the second and third map there is a fork of the river that runs right over a mountain. It is the first left hand fork on the central river.

It's just a minor issue, but still a little distracting.

Also, I agree with the river issues on the first map. The two forks that are going towards the sea don't look natural. If they were flowing from highlands or something like that, then it would be more natural looking.

Bohunk

05-09-2008, 03:04 PM

Ahem- Excuse me.

A river violation 630-H5 "Unrealistic River" subclass 12B "Forking downstream" was called in to our dispatch.

Malakor - please step away from the map!

What?...Ok. This time we'll let you off with just a warning, but please don't let it happen again :P

-Rob (A proud member of the river police) A>

Sorry Malakor, didn't mean to narc on ya! This should get my sentence reduced though...

Malakor

05-09-2008, 04:37 PM

Hi Malakor,

In the first map, the river in the middle of the picture forks the wrong way. Rivers almost always join other rivers but once joined, tend almost always not to split unless there is a manmade reason or the river is close to the coast and becomes a delta.

Ah, I see what you mean. Thanks for the tip

Malakor

05-09-2008, 04:39 PM

Oh, one other thing, on the second and third map there is a fork of the river that runs right over a mountain. It is the first left hand fork on the central river.

It's just a minor issue, but still a little distracting.

Also, I agree with the river issues on the first map. The two forks that are going towards the sea don't look natural. If they were flowing from highlands or something like that, then it would be more natural looking.

Yeah, I found them that way too when I was finished. What I was shooting for was to indicate that those rivers originated in the mountains and flowed down to join the major river.

StillCypher

05-09-2008, 10:56 PM

Definitely like the first one best, though I like the texture of the third. #2 is too much the same color.

Malakor

05-22-2008, 09:41 AM

I added a new 'style' wip that I'm looking at. I put it on the first post with the others for comparison.

DanChops

05-25-2008, 03:22 AM

I added a new 'style' wip that I'm looking at. I put it on the first post with the others for comparison.

I'm a big fan of contour maps, and I think this has some great potential. I'm not a PS user - is there some way you can blend the contours together so that the different elevation steps don't look quite so abrupt?

Malakor

05-25-2008, 07:55 AM

I'm hoping to find one. I thought they were a bit "harsh" myself. The file is on my machine at the office, so It'll be Tuesday before I get to work on it. I'm spending some time this weekend on trying different methods to soften the contours.
Thanks

Midgardsormr

05-25-2008, 12:49 PM

Be sure to take a look at dorpond's bluffs video tutorial:

http://forums.rptools.net/viewtopic.php?t=2142

You may find that technique useful, though perhaps time consuming.

Talroth

05-25-2008, 06:37 PM

Unless he changed the first map, the only issue I can see is the lower right corner has a lake that is being fed, but shows no signs of an outlet.

The 'forking downstream' of the river in the middle doesn't really appear to be a big issue, but I would have expected a small lake at an area that has two rivers joining at such an angle. I would have assumed that the main river cuts down through a rise near the coast at either side of it, and the watershed is based on the valleys running from the coast back toward the mountain.

I personally like the second one, I like ones that look like they were drawn by hand on parchment or paper with simple writing tools.

jfrazierjr

05-25-2008, 08:42 PM

Hi Malakor,

In the first map, the river in the middle of the picture forks the wrong way. Rivers almost always join other rivers but once joined, tend almost always not to split unless there is a manmade reason or the river is close to the coast and becomes a delta.

Define "close"

Midgardsormr

05-25-2008, 09:31 PM

The Mississippi spits out a minor river about 100 miles from the coast, and it looks like the Nile's delta starts about that distance, also, though I am not sure how much of that is due to manmade irrigation.

Actually, it looks like that offshoot from the Mississippi might be man-made, as well.

The Volga River's delta begins about 50 miles from the coast of the Caspian Sea.